महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-128, verse-41

यज्ञश्च परमो धर्मस्तथाहिंसा च देहिषु ।
अपूर्वभोजनं धर्मो विघसाशित्वमेव च ॥४१॥

41. yajñaśca paramo dharmastathāhiṁsā ca dehiṣu ,
apūrvabhojanaṁ dharmo vighasāśitvameva ca.

41. yajñaḥ ca paramaḥ dharmaḥ tathā ahiṃsā ca dehiṣu
apūrvabhojanam dharmaḥ vighasāśitvam eva ca

41. The Vedic ritual (yajña) is the supreme religious duty (dharma), and so too is non-violence (ahiṃsā) towards embodied beings. Eating food that has not been eaten before (by others) is a religious duty (dharma), and indeed so is the practice of eating remnants.

Words meanings summery:

• यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual (yajña) (ritual, worship, sacrifice)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• परमः (paramaḥ) - supreme (supreme, highest, excellent)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - a religious duty (religious duty, righteousness, intrinsic nature)

• तथा (tathā) - and so too, likewise (thus, so, also, and)

• अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence (ahiṃsā) (non-harming, non-violence)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• देहिषु (dehiṣu) - towards embodied beings (in/among embodied beings)

• अपूर्वभोजनम् (apūrvabhojanam) - eating food that has not been eaten before (by others) (eating what has not been tasted/eaten before)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - a religious duty (religious duty, righteousness, intrinsic nature)

• विघसाशित्वम् (vighasāśitvam) - the practice of eating remnants (after guests and dependents) (the state of eating remnants)

• एव (eva) - indeed, also (indeed, only, just, exactly)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

Words meanings and morphology

यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual (yajña) (ritual, worship, sacrifice)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, worship, offering, sacrifice

From root yaj- 'to worship, sacrifice'.

Root: yaj (class 1)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

परमः (paramaḥ) - supreme (supreme, highest, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parama

parama - supreme, highest, ultimate, most excellent

Superlative form of para (other, distant).

Note: Modifies 'dharmaḥ'.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - a religious duty (religious duty, righteousness, intrinsic nature)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - religious law, righteousness, virtue, duty, intrinsic nature, constitution

From root dhṛ 'to uphold, sustain'.

Root: dhṛ

Note: Predicate nominative.

तथा (tathā) - and so too, likewise (thus, so, also, and)

(indeclinable)

अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence (ahiṃsā) (non-harming, non-violence)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ahiṃsā

ahiṁsā - non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness

From a- (negation) + hiṃsā (harm, injury).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+hiṃsā)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• hiṃsā – injury, harm, violence
  noun (feminine)
  From root hiṃs- 'to harm'
  Root: hiṃs (class 7)

Note: The subject of the second clause.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

देहिषु (dehiṣu) - towards embodied beings (in/among embodied beings)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of dehin

dehin - embodied, possessing a body, embodied being, creature

From deha (body) + -in (possessive suffix).

Note: Denotes the sphere or recipients of non-violence.

अपूर्वभोजनम् (apūrvabhojanam) - eating food that has not been eaten before (by others) (eating what has not been tasted/eaten before)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of apūrvabhojana

apūrvabhojana - eating of food not previously tasted/eaten by another, eating only what has been properly offered

Compound of a-pūrva (not tasted/eaten before) and bhojana (eating/food).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+pūrva+bhojana)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• pūrva – prior, preceded, already existing
  adjective
• bhojana – eating, food, meal
  noun (neuter)
  From root bhuj- 'to eat, enjoy'
  Root: bhuj (class 7)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - a religious duty (religious duty, righteousness, intrinsic nature)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - religious law, righteousness, virtue, duty, intrinsic nature, constitution

From root dhṛ 'to uphold, sustain'.

Root: dhṛ

Note: Predicate nominative.

विघसाशित्वम् (vighasāśitvam) - the practice of eating remnants (after guests and dependents) (the state of eating remnants)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vighasāśitva

vighasāśitva - the state or practice of eating remnants of food (after others, especially guests/ancestors)

From vighasāśin (eater of remnants) + -tva (abstract suffix).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vighasa+āśitva)

• vighasa – remnants of food
  noun (masculine)
  From vi- + ghas- 'to eat'.
  Prefix: vi
  Root: ghas (class 1)
• āśitva – the state of eating
  noun (neuter)
  From āśin (eater) + -tva (abstract suffix).
  Root: aś (class 9)

एव (eva) - indeed, also (indeed, only, just, exactly)

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)